Apple is estimating it will hit 50 billion application downloads this week. That's approximately 7 apps for every person on the planet. So how is Apple saying thank you? By offering a $10,000 Apple Store Gift to the individual that downloads number 50 billion - and $500 Apple store gift cards for the first 50 after 50 billion. Just think how many apps you can get with those gift cards.

www.apple.com

Click HERE to see the original Forbes Article by Glenn Llopis.

Was reading through various articles today and came across an article titled "The Most Successful Leaders Do 15 Things Automatically, Every Day" by Glenn Llopis for Forbes.  Personally, I think it is spot on.  Some people are really just naturally great leaders....others need to learn to be.  Enjoy Mr. Llopis' article...

Leadership is learned behavior that becomes unconscious and automatic over time. For example, leaders can make several important decisions about an issue in the time it takes others to understand the question. Many people wonder how leaders know how to make the best decisions, often under immense pressure. The process of making these decisions comes from an accumulation of experiences and encounters with a multitude of difference circumstances, personality types and unforeseen failures. More so, the decision making process is an acute understanding of being familiar with the cause and effect of behavioral and circumstantial patterns; knowing the intelligence and interconnection points of the variables involved in these patterns allows a leader to confidently make decisions and project the probability of their desired outcomes. The most successful leaders are instinctual decision makers. Having done it so many times throughout their careers, they become immune to the pressure associated with decision making and extremely intuitive about the process of making the most strategic and best decisions. This is why most senior executives will tell you they depend strongly upon their "gut-feel" when making difficult decisions at a moment's notice.

Beyond decision making, successful leadership across all areas becomes learned and instinctual over a period of time. Successful leaders have learned the mastery of anticipating business patterns, finding opportunities in pressure situations, serving the people they lead and overcoming hardships. No wonder the best CEOs are paid so much money. In 2011, salaries for the 200 top-paid CEOs rose 5 percent to a median $14.5 million per year, according to a study by compensation-data company Equilar for The New York Times.

If you are looking to advance your career into a leadership capacity and / or already assume leadership responsibilities - here are 15 things you must do automatically, every day, to be a successful leader in the workplace:

1. Make Others Feel Safe to Speak-Up

Many times leaders intimidate their colleagues with their title and power when they walk into a room. Successful leaders deflect attention away from themselves and encourage others to voice their opinions. They are experts at making others feel safe to speak-up and confidently share their perspectives and points of view. They use their executive presence to create an approachable environment.

2. Make Decisions

Successful leaders are expert decision makers. They either facilitate the dialogue to empower their colleagues to reach a strategic conclusion or they do it themselves. They focus on "making things happen" at all times - decision making activities that sustain progress. Successful leaders have mastered the art of politicking and thus don't waste their time on issues that disrupt momentum. They know how to make 30 decisions in 30 minutes.

3. Communicate Expectations

Successful leaders are great communicators, and this is especially true when it comes to "performance expectations." In doing so, they remind their colleagues of the organization's core values and mission statement - ensuring that their vision is properly translated and actionable objectives are properly executed.

I had a boss that managed the team by reminding us of the expectations that she had of the group. She made it easy for the team to stay focused and on track. The protocol she implemented - by clearly communicating expectations - increased performance and helped to identify those on the team that could not keep up with the standards she expected from us.

4. Challenge People to Think

The most successful leaders understand their colleagues' mindsets, capabilities and areas for improvement. They use this knowledge/insight to challenge their teams to think and stretch them to reach for more. These types of leaders excel in keeping their people on their toes, never allowing them to get comfortable and enabling them with the tools to grow.

If you are not thinking, you're not learning new things. If you're not learning, you're not growing - and over time becoming irrelevant in your work.

5. Be Accountable to Others

Successful leaders allow their colleagues to manage them. This doesn't mean they are allowing others to control them - but rather becoming accountable to assure they are being proactive to their colleagues needs.

Beyond just mentoring and sponsoring selected employees, being accountable to others is a sign that your leader is focused more on your success than just their own.

6. Lead by Example

Leading by example sounds easy, but few leaders are consistent with this one. Successful leaders practice what they preach and are mindful of their actions. They know everyone is watching them and therefore are incredibly intuitive about detecting those who are observing their every move, waiting to detect a performance shortfall.

7. Measure & Reward Performance

Great leaders always have a strong "pulse" on business performance and those people who are the performance champions. Not only do they review the numbers and measure performance ROI, they are active in acknowledging hard work and efforts (no matter the result). Successful leaders never take consistent performers for granted and are mindful of rewarding them.

8. Provide Continuous Feedback

Employees want their leaders to know that they are paying attention to them and they appreciate any insights along the way. Successful leaders always provide feedback and they welcome reciprocal feedback by creating trustworthy relationships with their colleagues.. They understand the power of perspective and have learned the importance of feedback early on in their career as it has served them to enable workplace advancement.

9. Properly Allocate and Deploy Talent

Successful leaders know their talent pool and how to use it. They are experts at activating the capabilities of their colleagues and knowing when to deploy their unique skill sets given the circumstances at hand.

10. Ask Questions, Seek Counsel

Successful leaders ask questions and seek counsel all the time. From the outside, they appear to know-it-all - yet on the inside, they have a deep thirst for knowledge and constantly are on the look-out to learn new things because of their commitment to making themselves better through the wisdom of others.

11. Problem Solve; Avoid Procrastination

Successful leaders tackle issues head-on and know how to discover the heart of the matter at hand. They don't procrastinate and thus become incredibly proficient at problem solving; they learn from and don't avoid uncomfortable circumstances (they welcome them).

Getting ahead in life is about doing the things that most people don't like doing.

12. Positive Energy & Attitude

Successful leaders create a positive and inspiring workplace culture. They know how to set the tone and bring an attitude that motivates their colleagues to take action. As such, they are likeable, respected and strong willed. They don't allow failures to disrupt momentum.

13. Be a Great Teacher

Many employees in the workplace will tell you that their leaders have stopped being teachers. Successful leaders never stop teaching because they are so self-motivated to learn themselves. They use teaching to keep their colleagues well-informed and knowledgeable through statistics, trends, and other newsworthy items.

Successful leaders take the time to mentor their colleagues and make the investment to sponsor those who have proven they are able and eager to advance.

14. Invest in Relationships

Successful leaders don't focus on protecting their domain - instead they expand it by investing in mutually beneficial relationships. Successful leaders associate themselves with "lifters and other leaders" - the types of people that can broaden their sphere of influence. Not only for their own advancement, but that of others.

Leaders share the harvest of their success to help build momentum for those around them.

15. Genuinely Enjoy Responsibilities

Successful leaders love being leaders - not for the sake of power but for the meaningful and purposeful impact they can create. When you have reached a senior level of leadership - it's about your ability to serve others and this can't be accomplished unless you genuinely enjoy what you do.

In the end, successful leaders are able to sustain their success because these 15 things ultimately allow them to increase the value of their organization's brand - while at the same time minimize the operating risk profile. They serve as the enablers of talent, culture and results.

We all have different personalities and different communication styles and sometimes those styles collide creating a less than pleasant work environment. Hate is a a strong word...perhaps respect or value is a more appropriate term. - FurstStaffing

10 Ways to Deal with Coworkers You Hate (Without Going to Jail)

You can pick your friends, but you often have little say about who's sitting in the next cubicle or across the conference table (trying to sabotage your presentation). Fortunately, there are ways to deal without compromising yourself

By Ronnie Koenig - April 8, 2013

Speak to the person directly
Misunderstandings can abound at work and cause small conflicts to escalate, especially when they are happening over email. Knock on a coworker's door, take him or her aside and be direct. You may find that the problem you're having can be easily overcome -- and that it's a lot harder to hate on someone when you're speaking rationally, face-to-face.

Try to limit your interactions
In every office there will be some personality types that you just don't get along with. Switching jobs won't solve the problem, because Miss Know-It-All will most likely appear at your new place of work in another guise. While some interactions may be unavoidable, avoid getting into long-winded discussions with this type of person. Keep your focus on your to-do list and you'll be fine.

Play to their strengths -- and weaknesses
Instead of trying to change an annoying coworker -- or constantly lamenting the fact that they can't get anything done or are always looking to stab you in the back, take some time to figure out how this person operates. Will a little bit of praise keep him off your back for an entire week? If you showed him how to do a certain task would that boost his confidence and help you meet your deadline? See what I mean?

Keep work and personal life separate
There's no rule saying that your office has to be like the set of 30 Rock. Particularly if you're having conflict, leave the after-work drinks, interoffice dating and Friday group lunch to the rest of them while you keep your head down and -- gasp! -- just work. Look at it this way, you'll get finished quicker and have more time to meet up with your real compadres.

Keep the big picture in mind
It's easy to get so ground down by the daily grind that an argument with the coworker from hell can feel like the end of the world. Stay focused on your larger dreams. Where do you want to be one year from now? While you're learning new skills and taking on new responsibilities, your nemesis will become somebody else's problem.

Leave the pack
Are you and your coworkers constantly looking to blame enemy #1 for something? Instead of finger-pointing, take responsibility for the next SNAFU they try to pin on the unfortunate soul. When your coworkers see that you won't engage in this type of sniping, hopefully they will change their behavior, too. And everybody will feel better for it.

Look in the mirror
I know, it's hard to imagine, but is it possible that you're at all to blame for a bad work situation? Are you that person that other coworkers dread being around? Instead of expending energy on disliking your coworkers, look inward and see if there are areas that could use some improvement, whether it's communicating your ideas more clearly or simply coming in on time.

Kill them...with kindness
There's nothing quite like a friendly "good morning" and a smile to take the sting off any situation you're having with a crazy coworker. Extending an olive branch is not the same thing as letting someone walk all over you -- it's about rising about the fray and being the bigger person.

Keep records
You don't have to keep an FBI-type file on all the people in your office, but if a work situation is escalating, it's smart to save emails that could help back you up should the problem get taken to your higher-ups.

Report it
If possible, it's better to keep management out of your coworker conflicts. Involving others can make you look petty and weak, even if the other person is the true culprit. But when your ability to perform your job is truly being threatened, don't hesitate to confide in management. And often, simply taking the situation to a third party can help diffuse it.

Click HERE to view the original article.

NTMA Apprenticeship Aptitude Test
April 13, 2013

The Rock River Valley Tooling and Machining Association (RRVTMA) is
offering an apprenticeship aptitude test on April 13, 2013 at 8:00 AM. The
test will be conducted at the Rock Valley College Stenstrom Center for
Career Education (SCCE), 4151 Samuelson Road. The test fee is $30.00
due on the test date in cash or check payable to RRVTMA.

The apprenticeship aptitude test is designed and scored by the National
Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA). There are four areas of focus:
shop math, mechanical comprehension, personality, and aptitude survey.
The aptitude survey is a timed test and all others are untimed. The NTMA
will provide test results for each participant, and, with the participant's
permission, the participant's score will be provided to a sponsoring or
prospective employer.

Preregistration is required and can be done by contacting:
Don Williams
Apprentice Administrator
P 815.978.3698
F 815.516.8431
don_rrvtma@comcast.net

The Rock River Valley Tooling and Machining Association (the local chapter of the National Tooling and Machining
Association) is a group of Tool and Die Shops, Contract Machine Shops, and Precision Custom Manufacturers in the
Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin area. Created in 1957 with eight members, the RRVTMA has grown to
approximately 30 regular member companies and 50 associate member companies.
The mission of the RRVTMA is: To lead our precision manufacturing members in achieving maximum business
success by providing a center of knowledge, promoting and emphasizing education, technology, marketing,
networking, finance, and government affairs.
The Association administers a manufacturing apprenticeship program that includes on-the-job learning from a
company mentor combined with related technical training provided by Rock Valley College. Upon conclusion of their
apprenticeship, each apprentice receives a recognized credential.

Congratulations to Anserteam!  Anserteam has been selected as a 2013 Top Business Recipient by DiversityBusiness.com and will be honored at the 13th Annual National Business Award Ceremony & Conference (April 24-26 in Las Vegas).  Anserteam provides workforce solutions throughout North America.  Including national and regional staffing solutions, VMS solutions, MSP, etc.  FurstStaffing is one of the founding members/owners of Anserteam.  Anserteam will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2014.

Don't shoot the messenger!! 

If you or someone you know are working on your GED, now is the time to finish!!

Changes to the way the GED test is administered will occur beginning January 1, 2014.  After the first of the year, the GED will no longer be available on paper.  All GED tests will be administered online.  And the price for testing will increase from the current fee of $50 for the paper test to $130 for the online test.

IMPORTANT - if you have started taking the GED, but still have some sections to finish, only the pass/fail Constitution test will carry over after December 31, 2013.  After that, all other test scores will be erased and you will have to retake them using the new online method.

For a list of testing facilities available for both paper and online testing, visit the GED website @ http://www.gedtestingservice.com/ged-testing-service.

Misery Never Looked So Good (click HERE for original posting)

RACVB Launches Campaign in Response to Miserable Forbes Ranking

For Immediate Release:
March 6, 2013, Rockford, IL -

If misery loves company, then Rockford, IL is in for scores of visitors. The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau has launched a spirited, tongue-in-cheek campaign in response to an annual Forbes Magazine report that ranked Rockford as the third most "Miserable City" in the United States in 2013.

The campaign, called Misery Loves Company, seizes the opportunity presented by this topical issue and turns it on its head to bring positive attention to the community's most "miserable" quality of life and tourism assets.

RACVB Chief Executive Officer John Groh said, "I think you'll see that Misery Loves Company will prove that if Rockford is miserable, there are probably many, many other communities around the country that could only wish they are as miserable as us."

"The things that make Rockford such an attractive place for tournament organizers, meeting planners and leisure travelers are the same things that enhance the life we Rockfordians all enjoy," said John Groh. "When the Forbes ranking was released, you could hear a collective groan all over the city."

Rockford residents, never content to sit idly by and take a figurative punch without throwing one back, have been engaged in a lively community discussion about the Misery ranking. Many pointed comments have been made about Forbes and the so-called "accuracy" of its methods. Chicago and other cities known for their tourism attractions appear with Rockford on the magazine's list.

On the heels of the topical and award-winning Hideaway in Rockford campaign - which dealt with the Wisconsin State legislators' escape to Rockford during their battle with Governor Scott Walker - RACVB has developed Misery Loves Company to showcase the tourism attractions that enhance Rockford's quality of life and contribute to its economic wellbeing and livability, and coalesce Rockford's community pride.

Community assets like Anderson Japanese Gardens, Sportscore One and Two, Magic Waters, Coronado Theatre, the Rockford IceHogs, the Discovery Center Museum and Aldeen Golf Club, just to name a few, have strengthened the region and attracted scores of visitors. These hotspots and more will be highlighted in the campaign.

The campaign will be rolled out over the coming weeks and encourage broad community involvement via viral videos, must-own collectible t-shirts, social media engagement and a number of live events and co-promotions. Area residents, organizations and companies will be encouraged to join in the fun. More details will be made available in the coming days and weeks.

About The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is a private, non-profit organization that champions efforts to promote and further develop the Rockford Region as an overnight visitor destination. RACVB generates positive economic impact for the community through investments in tourism marketing, sales, promotion and advocacy. gorockford.com

For More Information: Bridget French, 815-979-1313 , bfrench@gorockford.com

Click HERE for the original post on www.todayifoundout.com.  It is a fun website offering a variety of subject matters.

45 years ago today on February 19, 1968, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood made its national TV debut. The show's purpose, as put forth by Mr. Rogers, was to promote: good self esteem, self control, imagination, creativity, curiosity, appreciation of diversity, cooperation, patience, and persistence.

In homage to the great Fred Rogers, here are a few interesting Mr. Rogers facts you may not know:

1) Many of Mr. Rogers' famous sweaters he wore on the show were made by his mother.

2) The reason Mr. Rogers started wearing sneakers on the show was because they made less noise than normal dress shoes when moving around behind the sets.

3) Mr. Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister. In 1962, he received a Bachelor of Divinity degree and was ordained as a minister in the United Presbyterian Church and charged with continuing his work on creating and contributing to wholesome children's television programs, which was his passion.

4) Mr. Rogers got into TV because the first time he saw a TV show it had "something horrible on it with people throwing pies at one another..." He stated, "I went into television because I hated it so, and I thought there was some way of using this fabulous instrument to be of nurture to those who would watch and listen."

5) Mr. Rogers was a vegetarian. He didn't smoke or drink or seem to have any major vices. He also stayed married to the same woman until his death; their marriage lasted 47 years. About the only even slightly "scandalous" thing Mr. Rogers seemed to do, which he revealed in an interview, was that he swam laps completely in the buff nearly every morning of his adult life at various clubs that allowed nude swimming at certain times of the day.

6) Contrary to rumors spread about on the Internet, Mr. Rogers was never a sniper in the military nor was the reason he wore sweaters because he had tattoos all over his arms and body, one for each person he killed. These, and other similar rumors, first started on the Internet around 1994 and saw a surge in popularity after his death. Mr. Rogers never served in the military and was a pacifist.

7) Unlike on most children's shows, Mr. Rogers played himself not just in name, but also in personality and mannerisms, changing nothing about how he acted off camera to how he acted on camera. His reasons for this were that: "One of the greatest gifts you can give anybody is the gift of your honest self. I also believe that kids can spot a phony a mile away."

8) 895 episodes of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood were filmed with the first episode broadcasting in 1968 and the last episode shot on December of 2000 and was subsequently aired in August of 2001.

9) Mr. Rogers famously didn't mind if people recorded his show with a VCR, arguing for people's right to do so in a 1979 case Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc. At the time, it was being argued by the opposition that this constituted a copyright infringement. Mr. Rogers was one of the few involved in television that did not believe so and felt people should be allowed to record programs. The Supreme Court noted that Mr. Rogers' testimony was a significant piece of evidence that helped lead them to their ultimate decision.

Specifically, Mr. Rogers' stated:

Some public stations, as well as commercial stations, program the ‘Neighborhood' at hours when some children cannot use it ... I have always felt that with the advent of all of this new technology that allows people to tape the ‘Neighborhood' off-the-air, and I'm speaking for the ‘Neighborhood' because that's what I produce, that they then become much more active in the programming of their family's television life. Very frankly, I am opposed to people being programmed by others. My whole approach in broadcasting has always been ‘You are an important person just the way you are. You can make healthy decisions.' Maybe I'm going on too long, but I just feel that anything that allows a person to be more active in the control of his or her life, in a healthy way, is important.

10) Mr. Rogers once appeared as preacher, Reverend Thomas, on an episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman called "Deal with the Devil".

11) Mr. Rogers did the voices on the show for: King Friday XIII, Queen Sara Saturday, Henrietta Pussycat, Daniel Striped Tiger, Lady Elaine Fairchild and Larry Horse, among others. He also composed most of the music on the show.

12) Mr. Rogers once appeared on the Soviet Union children's show Spokoynoy Nochi, Malyshi (Good Night, Little Ones) and was the first foreign guest to do so. That show has been on the air since 1964.

13) Mr. Rogers didn't just try to teach children important life lessons and the like, but he also produced a series of specials intended for parents called "Mister Rogers Talks to Parents About X", where X was whatever the topic of the day was. These shows were meant to help parents be able to answer any questions their child might have after watching a particular Mister Rogers' Neighborhood episode.

14) Mr. Rogers was red/green colorblind.

15) Fred Rogers died of stomach cancer at the age of 74 years old on February 27, 2003.

Read more at http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/02/15-interesting-mr-rogers-facts/#0kziPqEhQ8f09a2Z.99

http://www.goodwillni.org/career/taxsite.html

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Goodwill prepares taxes for no charge during the filing season (January to April).

The Goodwill VITA site offers free assistance to those with low-to-moderate incomes, including persons with disabilities. Our Volunteer Tax Preparers are IRS certified and assist community members in claiming any special credits and deductions for which they may be eligible. This program is open to families with income less than $50,000 per year and individuals with income less than $25,000.

Locations:

Items to Bring:

•Social Security Card
•Photo ID
•All wage forms (W-2, unemployment)
•College expenses (if any)
•Property tax bill (if any)
•Information for direct deposit

Stop by Goodwill's
Financial Festival

A FREE family friendly financial wellness event sponsored by Rockford's CA$H Coalition

Goodwill Mission Services Center
615 N. Longwood St, Rockford, IL

January 26 • February 16 • March 16
9am to 1pm

Local experts are excited to help you with: free tax filing, bank accounts, credit reports, job search assistance, identity theft, legal assistance, attending and paying for college, low-cost internet and cell phone service, and MORE! Bring your old confidential papers to shred on-site!

Refreshments will be provided.

Visit each information booth for a chance to win valuable prizes.

Rockford - 615 N. Longwood Street, Rockford
Saturdays {9am to 2pm}
Site opens January 26, 2013

Machesney Park - Goodwill Store, 8010 N. Second Street, Machesney Park
Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Thursdays {5pm to 9pm}
Fridays {9am to 5pm}
Site opens January 29, 2013

DeKalb - NIU on campus - Library Student Lounge
Wednesdays {4pm to 8pm}
Site opens January 29, 2013

DeKalb - Goodwill Store, 1037 S. Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb
Tuesdays {3pm to 8pm}
Saturdays {9am to 3pm}
Site opens January 29, 2013

Mobile Site - Goodwill will also have a mobile site this year that will travel to several locations in Goodwill's service area. CLICK HERE to see when the mobile site will be in your area.

Call (815) 987-6200 to make an appointment.
We also welcome walk-ins!
Appointments will be taken weekdays from 8am to 8pm.

First Impressions

The opinions on this document are my own and don't necessarily represent FurstStaffing's positions, strategies or opinions.

I have never been a big fan of resumes. A resume does not always portray a candidate properly. In today's world of immediacy, the resume has become the best (and quickest) screening tool for employers to identify the most qualified candidates to interview for the available job.

Regardless of what industry you are in, your resume is about your future, not your past. A resume should be a marketing piece. An accurate and truthful representation of your work experience. It is important to have a resume that sells your qualifications to the employer. Please note that your qualifications need to match what the company is looking for. In order to do this, you have to read and understand the job description or ad & identify what the requirements/qualifications are.

Many interviewers use ‘Behavioral' based questions when interviewing. Understanding how ‘Behavioral' interviews work can help in creating a stand-out resume.
Most people have specific experience or training/schooling that will have their job search focused on those experiences. Accountant, Pilot, Engineer, Nurse, Customer Service Representative. Industries may be varied from a sports team, to marketing/PR/advertising, to working for a food processing company. But the job functions will be the same regardless of industry.

Let's use an example of a hypothetical Customer Service advertisement. Let's look at this ad from the perspective of someone conducting a behavioral based interview.

FurstStaffing is recruiting for a Customer Service Representative who will be responsible for written and verbal communication with clients, will be on the phone 98% of the day, will be verifying information, assisting customers with their current cable plan and informing customer about new products, assisting customers who have technical issues or billing issues, and providing information to potential customers who call in, etc.

The ‘Behavioral' interviewer is going to look at what skills and characteristics are going to make a candidate successful in this role. This person will need:

Integrity: will be working with confidential information and credit card information.
Customer Service Skills: Working with external customers 98% of the time and internal team as well.
Problem Solving Skills: Must be able to figure out the best solution to our client's problem.
Persuasion: We have new products we need to sell. Candidate must be able to up-sell current customer.
Attitude towards work: if our Customer Service Rep is not happy, you can be sure our client is going to know it the moment they connect on the phone.
Oral Communication: Must be articulate and clear when speaking on the phone.

A ‘Behavioral' Interviewer will have questions focusing on obtaining specific examples from work experiences or personal experiences. Let's think about what skills/characteristics are going to be required in every Customer Service position. Oral Communication is an easy one for the interviewer to figure out. I think every employer would seek someone with Integrity...and because the goal of business is usually to be profitable, we don't want to lose customers and we would love to sell more products, therefore, let's also select Persuasion.

Integrity: What is integrity? Webster says "Adherence to a code of values." Questions that would reveal specific examples of integrity might be:
• We all have times when we feel we were treated unfairly by our employer. Give me an example of a time when this happened to you?
• Have you ever worked in a situation where you knew that no one would check up on your work?

Follow up questions will be:
• What was the situation?
• What did you do?
• What was the result?

Acceptable answers will be honest and straightforward. A less than acceptable answer will provide a sense of entitlement, falsifying information or stealing.

Let's look at Persuasion. Questions to find examples of persuasion might be:
• Give me an example of when you had to convince someone to do something they did not want to do?
• Give me an example of when you had a good idea, but not one would listen.

Follow up questions:
• What was the idea or situation?
• What did you do?
• What was the outcome?

I am not suggesting you answer these types of questions in your resume. What I am trying to explain is each position (Accountant, Pilot, Engineer, CSR) has skills or characteristics that will always be required of the position regardless of industry. Having these skills/traits/characteristics are a must to be successful in this position. Find out what those characteristics are for the position you seek. Then phrase your resume to emphasize those skills or characteristics. It takes a little work upfront to recognize these common skills and characteristics but I think it will help your resume stand out when it goes across the recruiters screen or desk.

Here are some examples of taking this "Behavioral" approach to your resume to emphasize these important skills:
Negotiation:
Purchased all direct and indirect materials from both domestic and overseas sources for three divisions located in two buildings by competitive pricing.
OR
Negotiated pricing to assure lowest price, fastest shipping time and highest quality materials while working with multiple vendors domestically and internationally for three divisions of the company.

Customer Service:
Provided quality customer service to existing and potential customers.
OR
Developed relationships with assigned accounts and provided customer service related to billing inquiries, product questions, delivery status, suggesting products to clients and potential clients.

Persuasion/Selling:
Cross-sold cable products.
OR
Listened to client concerns and/or interests, offered product suggestions based on need and converted suggestions into sales.

Flexibility & Initiative:
Managed and assisted in the development and implementation of recruitment programs.
OR
Maintained flexibility to adapt strategies, make decisions and change recruitment plans to meet shifting priorities and customer needs within dynamic market conditions.

Initiative & Performance:
Responsible for executing program delivery including meeting budgetary and schedule goals.
OR
Increased on-time and on-budget program delivery from 10% to over 50% with the initial roll out and deployment of product.

The first statements are not bad statements. They are what we typically see in a resume and they are acceptable. Our goal however, is to make your resume stand out as the hiring manager skims through your work experiences. The second statements go a bit further and development that skill or characteristic a little more. In the last example, Initiative & Performance, if you can show a result in numbers or percentages, do so.

Also, keep in mind with technology employers can verify your information. Do not falsify anything on your resume. It has to be the real deal.
Don't forget to proofread your resume and ask a friend to review it as well.

This might be a bit backwards, but I want to touch briefly on the "Cover Letter". The cover letter is my least favorite part of a resume to write. Don't want to sound desperate, don't want to sound like a ‘know-it-all' or a fake. I have a couple of examples of cover letters received from the same advertisement.

Example #1:
Please accept my resume for consideration on the position with your company that I am applying for. I believe that I have the knowledge and experiences that would make me become an asset to your organization in the position. I look forward to hearing from you so that I can discuss this position in further detail. Thank you.

Any thoughts on this example? It is too generalized. I may have 10 positions available within my company, there is nothing in this specifying what this person does for a living or what job they are responding to. Most people sound alike in their cover letters and resumes. The goal is to make the HR rep/recruiter remember what you said....in a positive way. Why does the employer need you....keep those specific skills and characteristics in mind.

Example #2:
Dear Sir or Madam:
As a buyer, I appreciated the value of seasoned customer service representatives who knew me, my company and my product applications.
In different capacities throughout my career, I have worked with customers to meet their product needs. As a staff manufacturing engineer in the computer monitor division at ABC Co, I visited and coordinated start-ups of monitors for DEF Co., GHI Co., JKL Co., and others. At MNO Co., I visited and interacted with PQR Co. management to establish focused factories to allow them to shift production between their different facilities, and I took over production of transformers for STU Co. when it was dissatisfied with our performance. As plant manager at VQX Co., I regularly interacted with customers as the product application expert. At Y&Z Co., I mentored customer service representatives to understand the complexity of the different product lines of the three divisions and had to answer direct customer questions on
applications.
I have both gathered and developed costs for customer quotes and have a thorough understanding of material, labor, transportation and overhead costs. In addition at each employer, I have identified improper costing of products that put sales at a competitive disadvantage. I have extensive experience creating and maintaining bills of material working with design engineers, production supervision, material personnel and purchasing as well as customers and vendors.
I understand the importance of filling every line to the specified quantity on a
customer's order just as our vendors should understand the importance of filling every line to the specified quantities on our purchase orders. If the vendor fails, we fail, and the customer fails. Failure is not an option.
I have worked for large, highly structured corporations and moderately sized, loosely organized companies. In either case, I was uncompromisingly dedicated to the pursuit of the company's and its customers' betterment.
As a customer service representative for your client, I will know the product line, I
will know the company, and I will know the customers and their applications. I will
succeed.
Sincerely

Ok, there is such a thing as over kill. This example has some good points but I can honestly tell you it was way too much. HR/Recruiters receive large numbers of responses to their job postings. The length of this cover letter makes it unappealing to read and because of a bad cover letter many hiring managers may never see the resume. If you do read this it is entirely about the author...they are SuperPerson. It is a hard sell...a bit pushy. They talk a lot about what "I" did but not so much about the results of the actions, skills, characteristics...but may be that was in the resume. 

Example #3:
My goal is for a fresh start with new opportunities. My ideal company will consist of people who care about doing a great job, people whom I can learn from and grown with. I am most interested in the areas of Customer Service and Office and or Accounting Assistance. These are areas in which I am quite familiar with. My most recent position consisted mostly of processing new orders and creating certificates of compliance for our products. I also have a great deal of experience in dealing with customers concerning discrepancies in paperwork and account balances. I enjoyed my most recent position very much however, was recently laid off due to lack of work. I have no official management experience at this time but have been left in charge of small groups of coworkers on more than one occasion. I am very quick to pick up on procedures and given the chance will make a valuable asset to any organization.

This cover letter shares a little too much. It is good to make the hiring people have a little intrigue. That being said the individual appears to be sincere. Never talk negatively about yourself, your experience or former employer. No need to point out any weaknesses...don't worry the interviewer will ask about these once you get to the interview. There was no conclusion to the cover letter. The statements are not strong and commanding but rather casual comments. There is not much structure or organization to this cover letter. And again, this is not specific to my company...maybe my job but this candidate is going to be a ‘valuable asset to any organization'.

Example #4:
Dear Human Resource Manager:
I am writing in response to your advertisement for a Customer Service Representative. As you can see by my enclosed resume, I have several years of experience I can bring to your company.
I am a very hard worker and have had many enjoyable years working in the Customer Service/Manufacturing field. My goal at this time is to seek a position within a company in which I can build a lasting career. I am also hoping to work with a company that focuses on teamwork as being a strong component and to provide customers with the services they deserve and expect.
I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss this position. You may contact me at xxx-xx-xxxx any time to schedule an interview. I know I can be a great asset to you not only from my desire to learn more about your company but also by bringing 30 years of experience to you. I am excited at the prospect of being able to join your team of professionals.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,

Wow, as an employer it sounds like I am going to get something with this employee. What I like about this cover letter is it is stating 1) candidate has experience 2) has integrity and expects her employer too as well 3) knows what they are applying for 4) is open to learning 5) teamwork is important. It was a very well put together cover letter. This candidate touched on 2 items that could be considered skills/characteristics that are found in a CSR role: Integrity and teamwork. I will tell you that I phoned this candidate on a Thursday or Friday. Conducted a phone interview and schedule for them to come in on Monday for a face-to-face interview and testing. I received an email over the weekend from this candidate stating they had received a job offer and had accepted.

As you can tell, we touched mostly on the content of a resume, identifying those specific skills and characteristics that will be found in each CSR role, no matter the industry. And we just briefly touched on the cover letter. There is a lot of information on-line about how to format a resume.

You have all heard and/or experienced the job market. It is challenging right now. If you do not like sales, you are going to have to buck up and get selling. Selling your skills, your abilities, selling YOU. Networking is one of the keys to this process of the job search.

Here are some suggestions on where you should be networking:
• Make your friends and family aware of your job search. Be clear.
• Use alumni organizations, classmates, former co-workers, neighbors
• Get on-line use facebook, Linked In, Twitter, etc to generate leads.
• Participate in professional associations and seminars. You never know where that one lead may come from.
• Register with employment agencies/staffing firms. Make sure the company is a reputable firm. Not all staffing firms are equal. Right now, with companies unsure of what their business volume might be they will probably turn to a staffing company to hire employees. It saves them time & money from a recruiting aspect as well as not having to pay payroll tax on the employee. Many assignments become a hire-on opportunity. It gives you experience & provides a resume filler while you are conducting your job search.
• Make sure that you track all of your contacts and the referrals you receive. As you reach out to a referral, make sure you have the permission of the contact to use their name during the introduction.

There is no formula or fill-in-the blank resume. Writing a good resume is not an easy task. It will require some thought and an investment of time on your part. I hope this has provided a slightly different approach to writing a resume and has been helpful.